"A Childhood"

a childhood
so nice to remember
drawing the hopscotch game
on the cement sidewalk
that ran in front of our house
in the small Ohio farm town
a piece of chalk from mother
a stone from the yard
was all we needed
talking on the phone
behind the swinging kitchen door
that caught on something
and stayed open
to an operator making a call
on a phone the size
of a small sports car
walking to school
even on the cold ohio winters
our legs just above our bonnie doone
socks and spaulding saddle shoes
pink from the cold air
polishing those shoes every night
being careful not to get white shoe polish
on the red rubber sole or the brown leather
and shoelaces
that trimmed the middle of each shoe
taking our good clothes off
after sunday school and church
shining our black patent leather
sunday shoes with vasoline
preparing them for the next sunday
going to see roy rodgers movies
on saturday night
at the princess theater
on mainstreet for a dime
hooking metal roller skates
to a leather soled shoe with a metal key
which we hung around our necks with a string
you had to keep tightening the hooks
that held the skates to your shoe
a rubber sole wouldn't hold the weight
of our heavy metal skates
skating the town playing a game
making arrows with white chalk
to show those who follow you where to go
laughing alot, getting your work done
before you could play, crying when you
got spanked for picking the neighbor
ladies flowers for your mother
learning life has limits
and doesn't always seem fair
never forgetting even now
as you sit at your writing window
remembering a childhood